The Senju Heiress
by timeflies123
Summary: Because being born in a family of prodigies and powerhouses meant that Sakura was not one to be left behind. Sakura-centric.
1. Prologue

Senju Nawaki thought he would never again feel as helpless and scared as he felt during his first _real_ mission – during the Second Shinobi War – where he _almost_ died. However, as the saying goes: _time will_ _ **always**_ _prove you wrong_.

Needless to say that Nawaki remembers that awful mission pretty clearly.

It was after his twelfth birthday, when Tsunade tried to give him Senju Hashirama's necklace as a birthday present in hopes of helping him achieve his dream of living up to his grandfather's legacy.

Keyword: _Tried_. Obviously the younger Senju refused the necklace, much to his sister bewilderment.

The collar was the most valuable object of Hashirama and Nawaki knew he hadn't done anything to be worthy of it. So he vehemently refused to receive it as a mere gift and bowed to obtain the necklace through actions that would make his grandfather proud.

 _"_ _It's not just a necklace; it is the symbol of Grandpa's legacy. The village was his greatest treasure and I will protect it with my life just like he did. I am proud of being the grandson of the founder of Konoha, the very First Hokage, but I refuse to wear his necklace before becoming worthy enough of it!"_

Nawaki smiled affectionately while looking down at the same collar hanging around his neck. He received it weeks later anyway, after he miraculously survived an explosive trap, awakening his grandfather's kekkei genkai – _Wood Release –_ creating a wood dome to protect himself on pure surviving instinct.

By the time The Senju returned to the village, he was enveloped in a bone crushing hug from his beyond relieved sister, who had been eagerly waiting for him at the gates. He was the only close family member she had left – after their father's death a few years back – so his near death experience had terrified her.

Once Tsunade was sure her baby brother was pretty much alive – by crushing the live out of him – she took out the necklace of Senju Hashirama and ignored Nawaki's complains while putting the collar around his neck, assuring him that he was already living up to Hashirama's legacy and that he would be a shinobi as strong as their grandfather, if not more.

That was the beginning of the living legend that currently is Senju Nawaki, one of Konoha's most powerful shinobi – barely second, if not equal, to the Hokage. The wood user was described as deathly and impossible to defeat by his village's enemies, being one of the few privileged to have a "flee on sight" warning in the bingo book.

Nawaki certainly accomplished his dream of living up to Hashirama's legacy as the proud Grandson of the God of Shinobi.

Abruptly, an ear piercing scream brought the Senju back from his musings to the present. The echoing sound was like a mocking reminder of his hopelessness against the current predicament, assuring him that _this_ was even scarier than his first real mission – hell, even an S-ranked mission would feel like a walk in the park compared to _this_.

With a wry smile, Nawaki thought that, ironically, it didn't matter if he was part of the elite ninja from Konohagakure, being the only one who could be a real challenge to Namikaze Minato, the fourth and current Hokage of the Village. It didn't matter how wide his set of skills and fearful reputation after the third shinobi war was, nor how he could bring down dozens of enemies by himself.

Right now Nawaki could only feel utterly useless and about to collapse while hearing the ohso agonizing screams of pain that his wife was emitting from the delivery room of his clan's compound and pray to all the gods that Sayumi and their baby would come out just fine.

Who would have thought that _The Senju Nawaki_ – the practically invincible Grandson of the God of Shinobi – was unable to stay collected and calm – as he usually was – facing his own child's birth?

The young man was striding back and forth in the tiny hall, outside the room where his wife was giving birth, while looking intently – almost glaring – at the floor. He even had to keep his hands clasped together to prevent them from shaking because of his nerves. The Senju's usually perfect dark blond hair was a complete sweaty mess because of the ear-splitting screeches and short breaths his wife was emitting inside the damn room, followed by loud encouragements from the midwives.

Nawaki's helpless state was so obvious that people who walked by could almost _feel_ the mixture of powerlessness, anticipation, excitement and hope that was coursing through him.

And just when it seemed that the Senju was near breakdown, a firm and supportive hand clasped his shoulder, making him look up. He could only feel relief as he met the calm cerulean eyes of Namikaze Minato and his wife, Uzumaki Kushina, alongside with him. "Thank god you are here." he blurted out feeling automatically comforted by the company of his two closest friends.

But of course, another set of screams would return Nawaki to his nerve wrecking mood.

"For god's sake Nawaki-chan, seems like age is finally getting to you! You didn't even sense us coming!" Kushina teased to lessen Nawaki's anxiety. He smiled but she noted that it did not reach his green-gray eyes as they were tormented by worry.

The Uzumaki probably was one of the few people that knew just how scared Nawaki actually was at facing this. He had a slight trauma from his own mother death due to labor complications – while giving birth to _him_.

Her eyes softened seeing the person she saw as her brother – Uzumaki Mito treated Kushina as her own granddaughter so they had practically grow up together – in such state. She immediately hugged him and started rubbing soothing circles in his back, just like he did when they were younger and she was feeling homesick because of the villager's rejection. "Everything will be alright, Nawaki-chan; your little one probably just wants to make a big entrance, dattebane!"

The hand in his shoulder gave him a gentle squeeze as Nawaki leaned in Kushina's embrace. "Kushina is right, Nawaki. Sayumi is a strong woman and your clan has the best medics in the village, you have nothing to worry about. Your wife and child will be fine." Minato said as he gave a reassuring and gentle smile to the Senju. Feeling more confident after his friends' support, Nawaki separated himself from Kushina and allowed himself to smile at them, a _real_ smile this time.

"Yeah, you're right and, actually, this is good practice for both of you, isn't it?" He said in amusement as he looked at the growing bump in Kushina's stomach, trying to change the mood. A new set of cries surrounded them, making the couple realize the true weight of Nawaki's words.

Minato and Kushina paled and shuddered visibly, appearing to be in a _slightly_ traumatized state after the realization. While a pair of terrorized and understanding blue eyes turned to him and all that Nawaki could do was look at the man empathetically, sending his silent support with a nod and a gloomy smile.

And just as the Senju was about to start his little parade again, the loudest scream yet sounded. The three people in the hall paralyzed and looked at each other with wide eyes.

Then, the miraculous sound that he'd been waiting to hear since her wife entered that room surrounded the hall.

Nawaki swore he hadn't heard anything more menacing and beautiful as the cry of _his_ child, announcing their awaited arrival. He let go a long sigh of relief, the loud screams of his newborn were music to his ears.

A few minutes later the door slid open revealing his aunt Chihiro. She looked totally worn out, strands of light brown hair were plastered with sweat to her face and there were rings under her equally brown eyes, reflecting a long struggle.

Chihiro greeted the newcomers with a bow before turning to the new father with a proud and excited smile on her face. "Congratulations Nawaki-kun! You are now father of a beautiful baby girl. Sayumi-chan and the baby are in perfect condition, so you may now enter and meet your new family member." She said with triumph.

Nawaki felt as if the total weight of the world had been lift up from his shoulders at her words. He felt like jumping and screaming from pure joy.

"You should enter first Nawaki, we will be there in a few minutes" Minato said seeing the excitement of his friend. Said person didn't wait to be told twice and entered the room as fast and silently as he could, closing the door behind him.

The first thing the Senju saw was his exhausted wife, holding a wailing bundle of blankets with both arms. Sayumi had small bags under her eyes and rebellious pink strands, covered in sweat, were hiding a part of her face while she was still trying to recover from all the effort.

The wood user stood a few seconds by the door, just admiring and trying to memorize the scene in front of him. His wife had never looked more beautiful to him; Sayumi seemed to be glowing while looking at their child with such adoration that he felt his chest spread with warm.

Nawaki thought that it wasn't possible for his love to increase, but when their eyes met – making him feel all the love, joy and excitement that her two sapphires were displaying, accompanied by the brightest smile ever – he felt his love grow a thousand times more.

"Nawaki-kun" she called softly, almost whispered, breaking his love-struck mesmerism.

The Senju approached her hesitantly in slow and calculated paces, careful to not startle their newborn, while Sayumi looked at the new nervous father's antics with fondness.

Once Nawaki stood next to his wife, he gently placed the few pink strands that where covering Sayumi's face behind her ear, then he bent down and kissed his wife's forehead softly.

"Sayumi-chan, are you feeling alright?" his wife only nodded in response, while he concentrated in the small bundle containing their daughter. The Senju could see the too familiar pink color on top of his baby's head. "She has your hair color." He said filled with affection, while caressing the short strands. "I'm afraid that she will be as beautiful as you are, my love."

His wife chuckled, blue eyes shining with warmth. "Do you want to hold her?" Nawaki turned his gaze to her, a little afraid of holding their little and delicate child.

"A-are you sure? I don't know how, I mean, what if…what if I hurt her?" Sayumi started to laugh softly, she had to wonder how a man like her husband – who could affront the most deathly and dangerous situations without batting an eye – was stuttering and feeling very on edge on the prospect of holding his own daughter.

"It will be alright, I trust you Nawaki-kun. I know that you would never do something to hurt her." She said confidently, looking at him straight in the eyes with an encouraging smile letting him know that she trusted him completely. He smiled catching the meaning of his wife words and slowly – and a little awkwardly – began to take the small bundle in his arms until he finally managed to hold her properly.

The wood user couldn't help the tears of joy accumulating in his eyes and the fond smile – that didn't seem to want to leave his face – as he carefully examined the small girl in his arms, while feeling the almost unnoticeable rise and fall of the tiny baby's chest that was confirming she was indeed here, pretty much alive and breathing.

She was so perfect.

He noted that she held great resemblance to her mother, from the color of her hair to the little nose and rosy lips – which were common features of her wife's family. However the distinctive blushes adorning her face screamed Senju – Nawaki and his sister used to stand out for their rosy cheeks when they were kids. Plus, she also had Tsunade's heart shape face as well as a similar forehead, but of course her daughter's didn't have the 'Strength of a Hundred Seal' violent diamond…yet. He smiled sadly and suppressed a sigh, how he wished his sister was here.

Leaving the thoughts of Tsunade aside; Nawaki kept staring intently at his daughter, trying to memorize everything about her, not wanting to miss a single detail of his child.

"What should we name her?" he suddenly asked his wife.

Sayumi glanced at her daughter, trying to think of an appropriate name for her. "I think that we should name her Sakura."

"Sakura, huh?" And just like that, the baby girl opened her eyes as if she knew she was being called.

The Senju was left breathless seeing the most beautiful and unique shade of green displayed in his daughter's eyes – which were cat-like eyes just like his own, as well as her long eyelashes. "Yes, Sakura really suits her and it seems she is already responding to her name" he said amused as his daughter gave him a toothless grin which he returned without a second thought. "Senju Sakura." He repeated lovingly.

 _I promise you that I will protect you with my whole life, my little girl. I will make sure that nobody hurts you as long as I live and to make you feel loved every day of your life._ Nawaki thought while smiling at his baby. _I want to teach you so many things, sweetheart. I want you to know and understand the importance of love and bonds. I hope that one day you learn to love the village and its people as much as I do._

He could already imagine his daughter all grown up taking the same life philosophy his grandfather initiated. Fervently loving, cherishing and fighting to protect their village as well as her family and friends with determined shinning green eyes filled with the Will of Fire.

"I love you so much, my precious daughter." He said with a fond smile looking at her tenderly while caressing her cheeks.

A/N: This is my very first fan-fiction story, so I hope that you had as much fun reading it as I had writing it :). I appreciate any suggestions/ideas/critics you may have as readers since I am really new to this.

Thank you so much for reading!...and perhaps reviewing?

Ps. English is not my native language so I'm sorry if you see any mistakes.

Pss. I do not own Naruto or any of its characters.


	2. Nine-Tails' Attack on Konoha

The night of Kushina's due date, Nawaki was finally able – well, more like _forced_ – to have a much needed rest.

He decided to spend it in his room drinking tea and reading some scrolls, written by his grandfather, while stealing glances at the crib containing his overly cute sleeping daughter.

It felt like years since his last break and if the Senju was going to be obliged to take it, he would make the most of it – also, he had to admit he really was feeling extremely worn out.

Surprisingly, his exhaustion was not even because of little Sakura – although taking care of her was definitely _not_ an easy task – but because of Kushina's pregnancy.

Since the Uzumaki is the Jinchuuriki of the Kyuubi no Kitsune, special precautions were needed to prevent said beast from taking advantage during her child's birth and freeing itself.

Thus, Nawaki – who was a Fuuinjutsu Master thanks to his grandmother and Kushina – ended-up being in charge of creating a barrier seal – his specialization – powerful enough to avoid _undesired guests_ in the delivery room.

It took many sleepless nights, giant books and tons of prototypes to create a barrier seal that would prevent _anyone_ – who doesn't know a Space-Time Jutsu – from entering the cave; therefore once the barrier was up, no one would be able to go in without Minato's permission and aid. In addition to the seal, Sarutobi Hiruzen suggested having several Anbu guarding the area as well as to have an Anbu and his own wife, Biwako, as midwives.

But despite everything, Nawaki's instinct was almost screaming at him that those precautions were **not** enough.

The Senju wanted to be in the delivery room with his friends, if only to make sure that everything would turn out to be alright. Unfortunately, it wasn't possible as it was a small place and four people already seemed way too much. And when he insisted to be part of the Anbu, Minato and Kushina immediately turned down his offer, claiming that all the teams were already organized and put in place.

Besides, Nawaki – as well as the couple – knew he was much more needed at home.

Having a sick wife and an overly sensitive baby, who constantly cried non-stop complains for her mother's absence meant that the Senju could not leave the later alone.

Worst part – or probably best, he did like to be needed by his daughter, after all – was that Nawaki was the only one who could calm Sakura down. The little girl would only stop crying when her father took her in his arms – and no, of course he couldn't use wooden clones because his little genius seemed to realize that it wasn't her real father and then, another _louder_ wave of cries would start.

Hence, the Wood user ended-up taking a well-deserved break at home – thanks to Minato and Kushina – where his main duty was to take care of his precious – already daddy's girl – Sakura, while reading some scrolls.

However, _things don't always go as planned_ and today was no exception.

His peaceful rest was abruptly interrupted by Sakura's very loud and almost _desperate_ cries.

The startled father quickly got up and went to his daughter's crib, grabbing the baby while rocking and humming softly to her in an attempt to calm her down. Generally, this would be more than enough to make her cries stop, but this time Sakura kept crying uncontrollably.

The Senju tensed up, he had never seen his daughter in such state before. _What could possibly make her act like this?_

His question was answered by a sudden chakra blare so powerful and malicious that it seemed to be made of pure anger and hatred.

Nawaki had only sensed this chakra a few times in his life…when Kushina used _its_ chakra.

At the realization, all the color of his face drained. _Something must have happened to Minato and Kushina!_

Because what he had just sensed was indeed the nine-tail beast's chakra.

Rapidly Nawaki got out of his room – with Sakura still crying in his arms – to reunite all of his clan members at the compound's courtyard as soon as possible.

The Kyuubi chakra was still far away from the village, probably in the cave where the delivery took place, so he still had time to place his family in a safe location and organize their shinobi before the attack.

Once every Senju member was in the courtyard, Nawaki surrounded his baby's ears with chakra, blocking any sound to not startle her furthermore, and shouted:

"I am sure that by now some of you have already sensed the powerful chakra outside the village." He made a pause while some of his family members nodded in agreement.

He took a deep breath before continuing: "It is unfortunate to say this, but that chakra belongs to none other than the Kyuubi no Kitsune. Konoha will soon be attacked by the nine-tail beast." His statement was soon followed by numerous gasps and faces of pure horror and incredulity from the Senju Clan. They simply could not believe what they were hearing, how was it even possible?

"Fortunately, we still have a little time to prepare ourselves before the beast comes near Konoha.

Therefore, Chuunin and Genin will help with the evacuation of the civilians to the shelters. The rest of us will defend the village against the nine-tails. We will meet outside the compound in five minutes." Nawaki ordered looking at his relatives. He could clearly see the despair and defeated acceptance from the higher ranked ninjas after hearing his command, making him sigh.

The wood knew he was practically ordering them to encounter their deaths. But despite the guiltiness he was feeling for his decision, he also knew that it was to protect Konoha – the village that Senju Hashirama founded – and to win this battle, he needed determined **fighters** , not the _martyrs_ he was currently seeing.

"I know that this seems a suicide mission." He started to shout again "Mere humans fighting against the nine-tail beast? It sounds impossible – much less winning against it.

But no matter what the odds, we still have to protect our village. The village that our respected ancestors founded and countless of our family members and friends died to protect. The village that has given us a place we can call home and has given us a family." He said looking down at his daughter with a loving smile before facing his public again.

"I believe – just like Senju Hashirama used to believe – that protecting the village is the best way to protect our precious people. I also believe that when a person is protecting something precious to them, they can become as strong as they can be. And despite confronting an apparent invincible creature, I still believe that even the most powerful enemy has its weakness, especially since we have something that this hateful creature has not: **_Bonds._**

I will fear not because I know I have a village that needs my protection. I will fight with all I have despite the odds and even if I keep falling I will always stand up because I know that I have a family to return to, friends to return to, and a _home_ to return to.

No matter what, I will protect Konohagakure until my last dying breath."

After a slight pause, his family members erupted in new cries of enthusiasm and willingness and immediately started to follow his orders.

With a last nod, Nawaki begun to look for his wife – he still had five minutes left and wanted nothing more than to spend them with his family.

"Nawaki-kun" Sayumi's soft voice stopped his search. He smiled and turned around to face her, but when their eyes met, he felt his smile falter. Her usually bright blue eyes were filled with worry while looking at him.

"Sayumi-chan" he said hesitantly. She opened her mouth but seemed to be at a loss of words so she closed it again while tears started to accumulate in her eyes.

She couldn't stop the worry that appeared to be increasing every passing minute. The Senju matriarch knew his husband was one of the strongest ninja in the village – hell, he was one of the strongest in the shinobi world – but _this_ , this didn't compare to anything he had confronted before.

Senju Nawaki may be one of the most powerful shinobi, but no one was invincible.

And Sayumi could not even bare to think of a life without her husband. The wood user was her world, her everything. She did not know what she would do without him. As matter of fact, she was pretty sure that the only person who would keep her sane and going would be their daughter.

And _ohgod_ their daughter! Sayumi quickly glanced at the sleeping baby in her husband's arms. Little Sakura also needed Nawaki! She needed a father to raise her and love her. Who else would teach her how to be strong and brave? Who else would she look up to?

Sayumi started to feel the tears fall from her eyes as she returned to look at hr husband, who was looking equally miserable.

However as she saw the despair in his green-gray eyes, she realized that he did not need this right now.

Sayumi couldn't put more weight to his shoulders and increase his guilt by sharing her worries. Nawaki needed her complete support, so she forced herself to stop the tears and suppress all the sadness and hopelessness she was feeling for later.

Because even though she and Sakura needed him, the village needed him even more right now.

Sayumi knew that the only person who could probably succeed at defeating the Kyuubi was Senju Nawaki.

So she took a deep breath and smiled at her husband, the brightest smile she could bring herself to make.

"I am so proud of you, my love." She said while placing one soft hand in the Senju's left check, caressing it lovingly. "I don't just believe, but **know** that you will protect the village. You will guide those men, not to their deaths, but to their victory. Because I know that you would do _anything_ to defend what you love and that endless willingness to protect is your most powerful ability." She said looking at him.

"I'm sure your grandfather and parents are proud of you as well and will be protecting you from wherever they are." He smiled at her, leaning in her touch. "Please be safe, my love. Sakura-chan and I will be waiting for you once all of this is over. Remember that we love you, Nawaki-kun. We love you so much" She leaned closer and kissed him on the lips, trying to transmit all her support and love into the kiss. Some rebellious tears started to fall again so she separated herself from her husband and took their daughter into her arms. "Now go, Konoha needs you."

"I will come back, Sayumi-chan. I promise that I will come back to you and our beautiful girl. Not even the Kyuubi can separate me from my girls" he grinned while looking at her with the most honest eyes she has ever seen and right there, she wholeheartedly believed him.

He leaned to kiss Sakura's forehead. "I love you, my sweet cherry blossom. Please behave while daddy is gone, mommy is still a little sick." She looked at his husband with fondness and he returned her gaze with equal passion. "I love you too, Sayumi-chan. I love both of you more than anything." He kissed her again. "You won't get rid of me so easily." He smirked at her one more time before turning around and leaving.

Sayumi let out a few dry chuckles accompanied by the tears that started to fall again while watching his back drift away.

* * *

The group of Senju Ninjas, led by Senju Nawaki, started to become bigger and bigger as other ninjas joined them in their way towards the center of Konoha.

However, something strange caught Nawaki's attention.

 _Nobody_ was coming out of the Uchiha Compound, even though he could sense the majority of the clan – if not all of them – inside.

At the realization, a pretty outraged Senju Nawaki commanded one of his cousins to keep the lead while he moved toward said compound to **demand** the freaking Uchiha's assistance at defending his beloved village.

The Senju hurriedly approached the place where he had sensed the clan head's chakra as well as other unknown ones.

He entered shamelessly through an open window and was outraged to see the elders and the leader of the Uchiha Clan merely _talking_ as if nothing was going to happen.

"WHAT THE HELL?!" Forget etiquette and manners. Senju Nawaki was seeing red, he was beyond furious. "Care to explain to me, Fugaku-san, why the hell are you all here drinking freaking tea while **_our_** village is nearing an attack that could possibly destroy it?! Do you not care for what happens to **_your_** home at all?! There will be innocent people dying out there while you are here chatting like there is no problem whatsoever! Konoha needs your help, GODDAMNIT!"

Mikoto flinched and looked ashamed at the ground, while her husband, Fugaku, glared at the intruder. "Nawaki-san, it is foolish for you to even _think_ the Uchiha Clan does not care for Konoha. We will always be willing to protect **_our_** village, however we cannot act against orders."

Nawaki was about to interrupt, but Fugaku answered his unasked question. "We were ordered to not interfere during the attack as, apparently, some council members believe that the Uchiha Clan is behind the attack." His jaw was flexed as he spat angrily those words.

It was such an absurd assumption, why would they attack the village? They would not gain anything by destroying Konoha – actually, _lose_ would be the most probable outcome for such a foolish plan.

 _Tch_ , his clan cared for their village, they had even renegaded one of their own for the sake of Konohagakure!

Nawaki almost let his jaw drop after hearing Fugaku. He knew that the council members were, well…already _senile_ – to put it nicely. But this? This was idiotic! And the Uchihas were actually listening to them?!

He quickly recovered from the impression and looked at each one of them with determination. "You can and you will." He stated with all the confidence in the world. They seemed ready to protest that _nonsense_ but Nawaki cut them off. "Are you willing to just sit here and watch your village fall? Are you willing to live with yourselves knowing that many lives could have been saved if you had helped?"

"What part of 'we are being banned from interfering' did you not understand, Senju-san?" One of the elders refuted looking angrier with each word.

"Well then, screw those orders!" every Uchiha in the room looked bewildered. "Do you think that the villagers will care that you were under some orders preventing you from protecting them? Well, let me tell you that they will not give a damn! Hell, they may not even find out that you were under this delusional command! And then, who do you think will be blamed for the attack? The Uchiha Clan, of course! In their grief and loss the only fact that will matter is that you were not there to protect our village and its people." He raised his voice just enough to make his point clear – even if it was with brutal harshness – and returned to look at them as if daring them to contradict him.

Something must have _clicked_ , because after a few minutes of deep reflection, the elders and Fugaku started mobilizing their people as quickly as possible – almost desperately.

Mikoto approached her former classmate with a thankful smile, giving him a slight bow. "Thank you so much, Nawaki. We are at your debt."

"It's alright, Mikoto; I am just doing what is best for our village." He gave a last smile to the Uchiha matriarch and a nod to her husband before flickering out of their compound.

* * *

When Nawaki resumed his way towards the center of the village – where he could sense various ninjas already gathered – a huge cloud of smoke appeared near the Hokage monument, blocking everyone's view.

As soon as it vanished, the Senju paled while staring in horror at the Kyuubi no Kitsune in all its _gigantic_ glory just a few kilometers from him.

Without missing a beat, the beast started to destroy his beloved village, hitting everything that was at its reach with its tails and paws as if Konoha was made of _sand_.

Several battle cries could be heard throughout the village from the ninjas that _tried –_ to no avail – to attack the Kyuubi. It was futile! Not even the jutsus and bombs that were thrown at the demon were working.

The Senju could only clench his fist and push his speed to the limit while watching how the devil creature killed dozens of his comrades with minimal effort as if they were mere _insects_.

He was late, _too late_. Every passing second meant more deaths and the wood user still had a long way to go.

But then, Nawaki felt a familiar chakra approximating the Kyuubi and when he looked up he was glad to find none other than Namikaze Minato on top of the Hokage Monument.

Unfortunately the Senju wasn't the only one to notice the Fourth.

Gasps and screams of pure horror were heard when the Kyuubi started to form a Tailed beast ball to attack Minato.

Desperation overwhelmed Nawaki when he saw the gigantic chakra sphere leave the fox's mouth and demolish several buildings and houses in its way towards the Hokage.

The helpless Senju could only pray and hope with all his being that the people living in that area were evacuated on time, because he knew he would not be able to reach the Hokage monument on time to save them.

However, Namikaze Minato wasn't the Hokage of Konohagakure for nothing.

"Flying Thunder God: Guiding Thunder" Nawaki heard his friend shout and in an instant, the giant dark sphere disappeared before it could even touch the Hokage monument.

Nawaki let out a small sigh of relieve, although he knew things were far from over.

And he was proven right when a mysterious masked man appeared behind Minato, ready to attack the fourth. Reacting just in time, the Namikaze turned around with a kunai in hand aimed at the intruder's head.

The _perfect_ attack was futile, much to Nawaki's shock.

With widen eyes, the Senju saw – almost in slow motion – the kunai go through the ninja's head without causing _any_ damage.

Then – taking advantage of the momentum – the masked man grabbed Minato's hand and teleported them away, before the grandson of Hashirama could reach them.

 _So that is the bastard who entered the cave._ Nawaki mused angrily. _If he has mastered that Space-Time technique to the point of becoming intangible, my barrier was a joke to him._

He wanted to help Minato – because seriously that man _might be_ more skilled with his technique than Minato was with his special kunais – but the wood user's main priority was to defeat the Kyuubi.

Oddly, said fox was no longer attacking the village. It was standing in the same spot while moving its head and tails frenetically as if it was having an inner fight.

 _Strange…was the masked man controlling it and now the Kyuubi is trying to regain control?_

Well, right now it didn't matter. Even though it was no longer set on destroying the village – well, not consciously at least – the beast movements were worsening the already demolished area and hitting the Ninjas who were near it.

The Senju couldn't afford to lose more lives, he needed to act now.

"EVERYONE STAND BACK!" he shouted to all the Konoha shinobi near him.

Looking at the Grandson of the God of Shinobi, every ninja immediately dispersed from the area, not even caring to hide the relief and _hope_ they were feeling because of the living legend's presence.

The wood user went near the giant creature, trying to decide the best plan of action to catch the fox off guard and minimize the damage.

"Is there anything we can do to help you, Nawaki-san?" said a voice landing beside him, followed by a group of ninja. The Senju didn't have to turn around to know that it was Uchiha Fugaku, probably accompanied by the best shinobi of the Uchiha Clan.

Wait… _Uchiha_ … _Sharingan_.

"Actually Fugaku-san, I could not have asked for anyone better." The Senju responded. "I need you to induce the fox in a Genjutsu to distract it."

Fugaku nodded and waited for the fox to meet his eyes. Thankfully, he did not need to wait for long, but when he started to cast the Genjutsu something seemed to not allow it.

"An external force is interfering with the technique." Fugaku said after a few tries. _Probably the masked man_ "The Genjutsu _may_ _be_ effective for a few seconds, at most, if all the Uchiha ninjas accompanying me help with the illusion."

"A few seconds is all I need, Fugaku-san." Nawaki responded. It was his most viable option and he would be damned if he did not make the most of it. "Just wait for my signal."

"Understood." The Uchiha nodded while moving to one of the few standing buildings near the fox to be at eye-level with said beast.

Once Nawaki saw that they were positioned, he shouted: "NOW!" and rapidly started to make hand signs Snake _Ram_ Hare _Dog_. "Wood Release: Wood Dragon Technique."

Immediately, an enormous Chinese wood dragon rose from earth making a beeline towards the Kyuubi. The later seemed to be in a dazed state – thanks to the Genjutsu – and did not even counterattack while being encircled by the wood creation in every possible way.

When the Genjutsu dispersed, it was already too late for the fox.

The Kyuubi started roaring desperately, trying to fight the wood user's technique. Its shrieks echoed throughout the village, but it was useless. Its body and tails were completely enveloped by the wood creation and the dragon had already started to absorb its chakra. It was only a matter of minutes before the yells became less powerful and its attempts at moving stopped due to chakra exhaustion.

The present ninjas needed a few seconds to assimilate that the Kyuubi had been finally defeated. Once they did, the multitude erupted in cries of relief and grief.

It was finally over but the incident's side effects were truly devastating, leaving the villagers filled with loss and despair.

"Seems you have everything in control." said another agitated voice landing near the Senju.

"Well, it had it coming! Nobody messes up with our village without facing the consequences." The Senju said with halfheartedly triumph. "What happened to the masked man?"

"He escaped." Spat angrily Minato, clenching his fists.

"Any clues about who he might be?"

"He…he had a weird-looking sharingan" the Namikaze said in a faint whisper. Nawaki turned to look at his friend, astonished.

Seeing the upcoming shower of questions Minato quickly interrupted his friend before he could start. "I'll explain everything to you later. First, we have to get this demon out of the village."

Forming a few seals, the Fourth Hokage made the two of them and the beast vanish into thin air in the blink of an eye to teleport them outside the village where Kushina and his baby were.

Kushina looked very _fragile_ , her usually beautiful shiny red hair was covered in sweat, her skin was too pale and she had bags under her eyes due to her extreme exhaustion.

Nawaki had never seen her in such state before and as he examined her more intently, the Senju understood that his sister would not be able to survive this.

The Uzumaki was slowly approaching her death.

The wood user closed his eyes to stop the tears from falling while his fingers curled tightly into his palm forming fists. His little sister was dying, a significant part of Kohona was destroyed and several _innocent_ lives were lost today and the day was still far from over.

He looked at the Kyuubi – still restrained by his technique – standing a few meters away from them while Minato approached his dying wife to discuss what they would do with said fox – Nawaki halfheartedly listened to their discussion as he was too concentrated in keeping his technique going.

Kushina offered to have the beast sealed inside of her once again so that it would die with her. But Minato immediately rejected the idea. No one knew for sure if the tailed-beasts died alongside their host – some say they can regenerate after some years – and besides the Namikaze was sure that the masked man would attack again and the power of the fox would be needed to defeat him.

Therefore, with his heart broken, the Fourth Hokage decided that they would seal the beast into his baby, Naruto. The older blond would use the 'Dead Demon Consuming Seal to not harm Naruto's fragile and small body.

Nawaki's felt a knot forming in his throat while hearing his friend's words. He felt so useless! If only he had asked Minato to teach him that technique, he would gladly sacrifice himself to seal the fox and prevent the Namikaze's death.

He was also about to _beg_ to be the new Jinchuuriki, so he could at least save Naruto. But Nawaki knew – as well as Minato – that it was also out of the question.

If _The Senju Nawaki_ , the only living wood user in the shinobi word – currently one of the most powerful ninja – became the new Jinchuuriki of the Kyuubi no Kitsune, there would be hell to pay – politically speaking. The rest of the villages could feel threaten and even unite against Konoha – beginning a new shinobi war.

He clenched his fists with more force while hearing Kushina's cries. She kept refusing Minato's idea, claiming that Naruto would live a lonely life and that the villagers would hate him believing he is the Kyuubi and not his host – which was an unfortunate and highly common mistake when it came to the Jinchuuriki.

"Kushina-chan that is not true." Nawaki interrupted Kushina's rambling. "You know that I would _never_ let your child feel alone. I know that I will never be able to fill your roles but I will try my best to be like a father to Naruto, the second best he could ever had." He smiled looking at Minato. "As long as I live, he will have a place to call home and people to call his family. I am sure that Sayumi-chan will also receive him with her arms wide open and little Sakura will be like a sister to him, just like you and me. So don't be afraid, Kushi-chan, Naruto will never be alone, he's got us." He said lovingly looking at his sister. Kushina could only nod and smile gratefully as tears slipped down her face.

With one last sad smile Minado ordered: "Ok, here is the plan: When I give you the signal Nawaki, you will release the fox, giving me access to use the Reaper Seal in order to seal half of its chakra inside of me. Once that is done I need you to use the Eight Trigrams Seal to seal the reminder inside of Naruto. Kushina will use the Chakra chains to hold the fox down just in case."

"Got it!" both Kushina and Nawaki chorused.

"NOW!" Minato shouted. Immediately, Nawaki released his technique while Kushina used the little strength she had left to chain the beast.

Meanwhile the Shanigami reached through Minato, to ripe out the Kyuubi's Yin chakra, sealing it at the cost of his dear friend soul.

"Eight Trigrams Sealing Style" Nawaki shouted, sealing the reminder of the Kyuubi's chakra in the newborn, as well as a bit of both of his parents' chakra.

Once everything was done, he carried Minato and Kushina were their child was to let them have one last family moment before their departure. "Thank you Nawaki-chan, for everything. I'm sure that you will be a great parent for Naruto." Kushina said looking at him.

"Of course I will Kushi-chan! I promise you both that I will try my best to be the father Naruto deserves. " The Senju said smiling at his friends "When he is old enough I will tell him all about you guys and I'll make sure he knows how much you love him. I'm sure he will be really proud to be your son."

"There isn't a better man to take care of my son, Nawaki. You are our brother in everything except blood, after all." Minato said with a faint smile.

"You don't need to thank me. You both are really important to me; and as you said, we are not just friends, we are family and family watches each other backs." The Senju said "I am the one who should be thanking you; you saved the village tonight. Thank you brother, than you sister." And with one last smile in all of their faces, Nawaki distanced himself from them, so they could have a final moment as a family. He swallowed the tears that were starting to form; he had to be strong for them and for his new _son_.

When he stopped hearing Kushina's voice, the Senju knew it was over.

He approached hesitantly the crying baby lying between his death parents. He took the little boy in his arms, rocking him softly and doing his best to comfort him. "Goodbye sister, goodbye brother. I really hope you rest in peace and take care of Naruto from wherever you are."

* * *

A/N: Thank youuu so much for reading and reviewing! :D I'm kind of nervous about this chapter since I'm not really good at writing battles, but I hope you like it.

This chapter is a little bit longer because I probably won't update in a couple of weeks and if I do, it will be a pretty small one.

Oh! And the next chapters will be focused on Sakura growing up. She will be _kind of_ OOC, hence background story is needed to understand her new personality better.

Also, about the **pairings questions**...well **YES** , there will be some romance throughout the story but it will not be the main focus of the plot.

If you have any suggestions about the pairings, please say so!

Thank you for reading and please reviewww! :)

Ps. I am looking for a beta reader since English is not my native language and I am sure that there are so grammatical errors that need to be corrected. If someone is interested please let me know. Thank you :D


	3. Aftermath

A couple of days after the Nine-Tails' Attack, the entire village was gathered at the burial grounds, mourning those who lost their lives to protect Konoha.

It was a cold and dark morning; rain fell in heavy droplets camouflaging the silent tears of the villagers. The shock and fear was still there and the sentiment of loss would linger for a long time.

Nawaki himself lost his brother and sister during the attack. Minato and Kushina defeated the Kyuubi at the cost of their lives, leaving behind an orphan child who would have to carry the burden of being the Jinchuuriki of said beast.

Feeling the sudden urge to cry, The Senju took his wife's hand in his for support, giving it a slight squeeze while Sayumi started to caress the palm of his hand with her thumb in an attempt to comfort him.

The couple was attending the funeral without their children. Nawaki was afraid of the villager's reactions towards the little Namikaze – he had been keeping the baby boy inside the compound since the attack – so he left Sakura and Naruto sleeping in their shared room with a pair of wood clones to watch over them.

The rumor about the "Demon boy" had already started to spread and even though he was sure nobody would _dare_ to mistreat Naruto in his presence, he preferred not to risk it just yet.

Nawaki wanted to become his legal adoptive father before getting the blond out of the house, he figured that his new reputation as Konoha's Greatest Hero – alongside the Fourth Hokage – could increase the villagers' acceptance of Naruto if the later was already his legal son.

Before the attack, Senju Nawaki was seen as one of the most powerful shinobi of the ninja world, but after _"taming"_ the Nine-Tails beast with his suppressing chakra wooden dragon, the villagers worshipped him like he was some kind of God.

The citizens claimed that if it wasn't for the Senju's intervention during the attack, the number of deaths and damage to the village could have been even worse. Every habitant of Konoha was more than just thankful for Nawaki's protection.

The fanaticism towards the Wood User only got worse when he used his Serial Pillar Houses Technique to rebuild the demolished area of Konoha, preventing several citizens from becoming homeless.

Needless to say, Nawaki was drawn in presents and bows as soon as he got out of his house. And even though he found that kind of attention overwhelming – even a bit unwelcomed at time like this – he would gladly accept it if it helped Naruto – whose parents were the real heroes that day.

* * *

After the funeral ended, Hashirama's grandson was called to an emergency meeting at the Hokage tower.

The wood user silently entered the room and took his usual seat, next to the Hokage's – where Minato used to be – which was now occupied by the former Hokage: Sarutobi Hiruzen.

"Since every clan head and council member is now present, I, Sarutobi Hiruzen, Third Hokage of Konohagakure, initiate this meeting to discuss the Nine-Tails attack on Kohona." Hiruzen said looking at every member.

After a few seconds, everyone in the room turned to look at the Senju Clan Head. Nawaki almost sighed, understanding their unasked request; he was the only _alive_ person who could share any kind of information about the Kyuubi's assault, after all.

Not one to waste time, Nawaki cleared his throat and proceeded to share _almost_ everything he knew about the attack and the mysterious intangible masked man controlling the Kyuubi.

Everyone in the room paled at the prospect of a new powerful enemy.

"Well, I must say that 'unknown' cannot be a way to describe this person." Danzo said, looking smugly despite the revelation of a new threat. "It is almost painfully obvious that said man is an Uchiha." He spat venomously the last name and glared at Fugaku, who returned the glare with equal passion.

"Excuse me, Shimura-san, but could you explain your reasoning?" Nawaki said narrowing his eyes. "It is a serious accusation and I do not believe it is wise to make such allegation without proof." He was congratulating himself for omitting the masked man's strange looking sharingan. Nawaki already had a suspicion about who this person might be and he would be damned if the council members started to ploy against a loyal clan of Konoha because of that bastard.

"It is implied that I am following a logical _pattern._ I did not believe I would have to explain myself, especially to you, _Senju_ -san." Danzo said. "If I remember correctly, _Uchiha_ Madara took control of the Nine-Tails to battle your grandfather, Senju Hashirama, in the Valley of the End. To this day, the only known person to be able to control a tail-beast was an **_Uchiha_**."

"I can assure you, Shimura-san, and every person present that the **unknown** person responsible for the attack has nothing to do with the Uchiha Clan." Nawaki declared as if he was stating a fact. "If it wasn't for the intervention of Fugaku-san – Leader of the Uchiha Clan – and his genjutsu specialist during the attack, I would not have been able to defeat the Kyuubi without causing major damages to Konoha.

The Uchiha Clan helped me save dozens of lives that day; they even went as far as to ignore ** _your_** orders to protect our village without caring about the consequences. If that does not prove their complete loyalty to Konohagakure, then I do not know what will." Silence was followed after his statement.

"Quite inspiring speech, Senju-san." Danzo said sarcastically. "However, it does not prove their innocence. A fact is a fact, it does not matter if they helped or not during the assault."

"Says the man that was no where to be seen during the attack." Nawaki said gritting his teeth. "At least the Uchihas were fighting to defend our village! Even the other honorable council members and former Hokage were there, risking their lives to protect Konoha and its people." He paused to glare at the old man. "While you were too busy protecting yourself." Danzou glared back at the Senju but kept his mouth shut while the later was fighting a winning smile.

"Besides, if everyone followed that _non-sense_ you call logic, Shimura-san, I should have been ordered to not interfere during the attack as well. Both, Uchiha Madara and Senju Hashirama, proved to be capable of controlling the tailed beasts in the battle you previously mentioned. So I must wonder, why not blame me instead of the Uchiha clan?" Absolute silence followed Nawaki's statement. Danzo could only glare at the Senju while clearly seeing the obvious support he had from every person in the room.

The third Hokage cleared his throat in an attempt to dissipate the tension in the room. "I am certain that most of us agree with Senju Nawaki. There is no reason to associate the masked man to any clan of the village." All the clan heads nodded in approval. "Very well, we may now continue…" Nawaki turned them out as they started discussing about the necessary improvements of security the village would require.

He listened halfheartedly until the subject of a new Hokage came up. The Senju turned his full attention to the discussion, wondering who would take Minato's place and hoping for the village's sake that it would not be Danzo.

Suddenly the determined and firm voice of the Third Hokage caught him off guard. "I, Sarutobi Hiruzen, former Hokage of the Village, nominate Senju Nawaki as the Fifth Hokage of Konohagakure" He said looking directly at him. "Senju-san is the village's best option, being Namikaze Minato's equal in power and charisma. Not to mention that he was also nominated for the position of Fourth Hokage and is the grandson and grandnephew of the First and Second Hokages – the founders of the village."

Nawaki looked in bewilderment how all the clan's leaders supported The Senju's nomination, even Uchiha Fugaku and Hyuuga Hiashi showed their approval. _How ironical_ Nawaki mused, while looking at the two men – alongside Danzo – who had fervently objected his nomination as fourth Hokage, claiming there were too many Senju in the position and that it almost seemed the tittle was a lineage thing. _Pff, as if._

"Senju Nawaki was Minato's right hand and closer advisor. I agree" Homura, one of the council members, said.

"He would indeed be the wisest choice, we need a strong shinobi to represent us." Koharu added.

Suddenly Danzo stood to speak. "I do not believe Senju Nawaki is the best choice to lead the village." He started in a condescending tone, as if he was about to win something. Every person in the room frowned at him. "It may be true that he would be a _remarkable_ leader." He continued, almost mockingly, everyone seemed to disapprove his attitude. "But right now, the village cannot afford to keep his strongest man inside the Hokage tower; not when there is a powerful shinobi out there who is set on destroying Konoha. We need Senju Nawaki to track and kill the man behind the Kyuubi attack. He may be the only one able to defeat such a strong enemy." Silence followed his statement. Everyone seemed to be reflecting Danzo's words.

"I must agree with Shimura-san." Nawaki said, also standing up, gaining a few gasps. "Even though I am beyond flattered to be chosen as the leader of our precious village, I cannot take a desk position and send my comrades to their deaths if I could be the one doing it. I will not be able to take the position until I see that man dead." He finished with a firm nod.

"Even though it is a valid point, the masked man may attack again and we would need Senju-san's protection." Koharu said with a slight scowl.

"He will not." Nawaki said with all the confidence in the world. "He fought the Fourth Hokage, one of the most powerful shinobi of all times, and almost lost to him. I am pretty sure that the masked man is vulnerable and weak right now. We must found him as soon as possible, before he can regain his strength or find new allies."

"I agree with Nawaki-san. I believe that the wisest choice is to send him on a mission to eliminate the masked man" Nara Shikaku begun. "But I also believe that it is imprudent to send away our most powerful shinobi for an undetermined period of time. I would advise to set a time limit for the mission."

"Indeed Nara-san. Two years should suffice to end the mission." Homura agreed.

"Then, I propose that Sarutobi Hiruzen retakes his Title as Third Hokage of Konohagakure until Senju Nawaki returns and takes the position of Fifth Hokage." Nara Shikaku said which was soon followed by everyone's approval and Danzo's pronounced scowl.

Before the meeting came to an end, Nawaki cleared his throat, he still had one subject that needed to be discussed. "I would like to announce my desire to become the legal tutor of Uzumaki Naruto." Everyone seemed taken back by his statement since no one, besides the Hokage, knew who Naruto's parents were, although Nawaki knew some of them at least suspected they were Minato and Kushina.

"May I ask the reasons behind your sudden desire?" Hyuuga Hiashi asked, narrowing his eyes. "It is kind of unexpected that the _head_ of the _Senju Clan_ wants to see after the boy who happens to have the Kyuubi sealed inside of him." The Hyuuga gave Fugaku a quick glance expecting his assistance – they usually were the first ones to refute in situations like this. To his surprise, the Uchiha Clan head stayed silent, he knew Nawaki's reasons were not for power but to protect the child of his two best friends. However, as mush as he wanted to support the Wood user, he thought it would be unwise, his clan had almost being accused of treason for controlling the same beast they were talking about, after all.

"I must agree with Hyuuga-san. It would be imprudent to provide any of the clans the power of the nine-tails." Koharu said.

Nawaki gritted his teeth, and curled his fingers in his palm, making fists. "Would you _please_ stop talking about Naruto as if he was some kind of weapon." he said in a low infuriated voice. How he wished he could say that Naruto was the beloved son of the two biggest heroes of the village, but for Naruto's sake, his parents' identity were kept secret. "I am not speaking as the head of the Senju Clan, Hyuuga-san. I am speaking as the father of a baby girl, which I know you soon will be, as well as all the clan heads." He looked at said members. "I am not seeking the power of the fox that I helped to defeat. Far from that, I am genuinely concerned for the _parent-less_ newborn. As you all know, I helped to seal the beast inside Naruto, the least I could do is take care of him and treat him as my own son." He looked down filled with guilt. "Please consider this, not as council members or clan leaders, but as parents. I am sure that none of you would like to see your own child having the burden that Naruto will have to carry without a family to support him."

The clan heads seemed to be ready to approve his request when a voice echoed throughout the room. "We are all concerned for Naruto's condition, Senju-san, but I believe that you are not considering your own family's safety." Danzo said looking at him.

"That is absurd, Shimura-san, Naruto is not dangerous. I am sure that all of you are aware that he is NOT the Kyuubi, he is merely a defenseless baby boy who happened to be chosen as its container". Nawaki glared at the council member. "And if you are afraid of my clan's reaction towards him, I would like to remind you that my Grandmother was the first Jinchuuriki of the nine-tails, his acceptance will not be a problem. Thus…"

"We are conscious of these facts." Danzo interrupted him. "However, you must not forget that you will be out of the village for the next two years. What would happen if the seal starts to weaken or it becomes unstable? Your wife is a mere civilian, she will not notice anything until it is too late, nor she will be able to defend herself and your daughter."

"I sealed the beast myself alongside the Fourth Hokage, both of us are – _were_ – seal masters, and my compound is full of other capable ninja…"

"How can you guarantee that they will be monitoring Naruto in your absence?"

"They will if I ask them." Nawaki firmly assured. "Besides what do you suggest to do with Naruto? To keep him at the orphanage? Isn't that more dangerous?"

"Keeping him at the orphanage with Anbu agents monitoring him 24/7 would be the safest choice."

"Why couldn't the Anbu guard him at my compound?"

Danzo almost snorted. "The government is not allowed to violate the privacy of a clan's compound and even if we had your permission, I am sure that not all of your family members would appreciate it" He finished with a winning smirk.

Nawaki suppressed the urge to hit the old man, what was he gaining from keeping Naruto out of his care anyway? "Fine." He spat out angrily. "If the only problem is my absence, then may I have the custody of Uzumaki Naruto after finishing my three year mission?" he was granted with nods of approval while he fought the urge to hit the insufferable council member.

* * *

A few months later, when the Intelligence Division finally found clues of the masked man's whereabouts, Nawaki was ordered to leave the village immediately.

The Senju knew he had to end this mission as soon as possible, he was not sure if he would be able to leave his family for such a long period of time. Not to mention, he could not afford to leave Naruto by himself for two years, it was already painful enough being ordered to leave him in the orphanage with barely a year of life.

Nawaki's only comfort was that he knew his wife would visit Naruto regularly, making sure that _her_ _son_ was not being mistreated by his caretakers and to assure the baby boy that he was not alone.

So, with a broken heart he left his wife and one year old daughter at the gates of Konoha, promising he would come back safe.

* * *

A/N: meh, I know that this chapter is kind of boring but it was necessary! I promise next chapter will be more fun and extremely cute :) (I already started writing it.) I now that the development of the story is pretty slow, but I like to explain things and Sakura's different background story is no exception! (aaand I'm not really fond of flashbacks.)

Anywaaay, thank you so much for reading and for reviewing! Your comments really inspire me to do my best :)

If you have any suggestions for the story please say so! (Next chapters will be focused on Sakura growing up)

Hope you like this chapter, please revieeew!

PS: I am looking for a **Beta Reader** since English is not my native language and I am sure there are various grammatical errors that need to be corrected. If you are interested, please let me know :D Thank you.


	4. The Tale of the Utterly Gutsy Shinobi

Today was a very atypical day for the habitants of Konoha.

It certainly wasn't an everyday occurrence to see the wife and daughter of the one and only Senju Nawaki walking through the village.

The three-year-old girl was skipping excitedly through the crowded streets, hand in hand with her mother, completely oblivious to the commotion going on because of them.

Senju Sakura was so immerse in moving her little legs as fast as possible to reach her destination quickly, that she didn't notice the looks of awe and bows of utter respect directed at them, nor the kind words and best wishes to her mother, who could only greet back and smile apologetically while being dragged by the small girl.

If it was any other day, the little pink-haired girl would probably be interested in the odd behavior of the citizens or amazed by the several buildings and houses surrounding her. However, something more important was occupying her mind today.

Today, Senju Sakura was going to the park for the first time ever.

Since her father left, Sakura was _almost_ never allowed to leave the Senju Compound – something about safety precautions and her father's enemies –. In fact, she only got out of her home to visit her grandparents who, unfortunately, travelled a lot.

Needless to say, the youngest Senju was dying to go to the park and make new friends.

The three-year-old girl didn't have any friends her age, the only _friends_ she had were his cousins, who were at least four years older than her and would mainly take care of her, not play with her.

"Saku-chan, hold on! We are here." Sayumi called her daughter while trying to stop her.

The girl looked around the park excitedly before facing her mother, who kneeled in front of her.

Sayumi's eyes softened seeing how eager her daughter was. The little girl had been restless the past few months locked inside the compound, wanting nothing more than to go out. However, as much as she wanted to bring her to the park, she knew her husband's precautions were not in vain.

Senju Nawaki did not want his girls to leave the compound without the protection of at least two of their clan's ANBU.

The Senju clan only had seven ANBU agents and to have four of them without any mission at the same time was near impossible. Heck, even having two available was extremely rare and hiring ANBU from the government was out of the question, considering Danzo.

Sayumi was usually escorted by two jounin or an ANBU and a jounin. She could not afford to wait for two ANBU to be available, hshe had to make regular visits to the orphanage to make sure her son was being well treated and to accompany him, security measures be damned.

But, of course, Sayumi would never risk her daughter's safety, so she had planned this outing for months.

"I will be seated on the bank next to the sakura tree if you need anything, ok?" Sayumi said while running her fingers through her daughter's soft pink locks.

Sakura threw her tiny arms aroung her mother and kissed her cheek. "Thanks, Kaa-chan! I love you."

"I love you too, my Saku-chan. Now go and have fun, but please be careful." Sakura nodded in response and turned around to face the park.

Despite being really excited, the three-year-old was a little bit anxious. She wasn't sure where to begin with.

She carefully examined the park to decide what she should do.

There was a big group of kids running around the park chasing each other. The game seemed fun and Sakura wanted to play with them but soon discarded the idea. She was really nervous and asking if she could join a game she didn't even know to a bunch of unknown kids didn't seem the right choice.

Her other option was the three girls sitting on the edge of the sandbox. The youngest Senju wasn't fond of games that didn't involve running and jumping around, but she guessed that it was better than playing alone; at least she would make three new friends today.

However, when she started to approach the sandbox, someone else caught her attention.

She turned around; emerald eyes glanced over the small figure swaying back and forth on one of the swings. He was looking at the ground and all she could see was messy blonde hair covering the boy's face.

He looked really sad and, for some inexplicable reason, Sakura could not bare to see the unknown boy in so depressed. She had a strange – almost desperate – urge to approach him and make him smile.

So, with newly found determination, the little Senju made a dash for the swings; the three girls long forgotten.

Once she was close enough, Sakura cleared her throat softly before speaking up.

"Hi!" She greeted with a big grin. The small boy jumped a little bit at the sound of her voice, but nonetheless looked up.

He had a sun-toughened face framed by messy blonde locks, which oddly suited him, and unique whiskers adorning his cheeks. However what took her aback were his eyes, they were a brilliant blue – pretty similar to her mothers' – an intense blue that reflected the sky. Eyes that were vivid but also pained and red rimmed with tears.

Her heart constricted at the sight of the small boy. She wanted to hug and comfort him, but she knew she needed to gain his friendship first. "Hello." She repeated with a concerned frown, taking a few tiny steps so she could be in front of him.

The boy looked around as if trying to assure himself that the cute girl in front of him was indeed talking to someone like _him_.

"Um...hey." He responded with a raspy voice, still looking confused and a little wary of her.

"Why're you crying? Are you hurt?" She asked, digging in her pants pocket. She pulled out a tissue and handed it to him with a small smile.

The blonde boy could only look at the girl with a flabbergasted expression, not really sure how to react.

At his short age, he had learned that – _almost –_ nobody really liked him.

In fact, he was pretty lucky if people just ignored him or avoided him. Unfortunately, most of the time, the blonde boy would be at the receiving end of horrible insults and cruel treatment – sometimes even physical abuse.

He was _almost_ used to it – nobody really got used to being hated, he mused, but maybe it was possible to learn how to cope with it.

Suddenly, he felt something soft touching his skin cutting off his sad thoughts. He instinctively flinched, half expecting to be punched in the face.

"Hey…it's ok, I'm not gonna hurt you. I promise." Said Sakura with a soft voice; shifting so she could squad in front of him to wipe away his tears – trying to imitate what her mother does whenever she cries.

Was he dreaming? Was the girl in front of him real? Kids his age were never nice to him, far from that. Heck, even most adults treated him like he was worse than trash.

Should he trust her?

He knows from experience that he should not be fooled by kindness. How many times has he been tricked by fake sympathy only to be stabbed in the back? Some part of him wants to run away before she has the chance to hurt him.

However, he cannot bring himself to move, because he wants to trust her. Some part of him wants to believe in her so badly.

Maybe it was the genuine smile she wore when she greeted him or her big green eyes that showed nothing but authentic concern for him. Perhaps it is the fact that she looks like a miniature green-eyed version of the woman who regularly visits him – the one who is like a mother to him.

Whatever the reason is, he allows himself to trust her, he allows his walls to break and before he could even realize, tears started to fall once again from his eyes.

Sakura instinctively circled her chubby arms around him to hold him tightly. His head fell on her shoulder while she traced soothing circles in his back, whispering comforting words in his ear.

The little boy's sobs became louder at her reaction; he could not hold the tears any longer. Everything was just too much for the almost three-year-old boy.

He had been hated by everyone in the village as long as he could remember. He never understood why and it was slowly killing him.

Most of the time, he was all by himself, alone in a village where nobody could even bare the sight of him and it hurt. It hurt so much.

It pained him to know that he would only be acknowledged to be mistreated. People would always glare at him, whisper malicious things about him loudly or call him names while throwing things at him or even punching him.

" _There it is, that monster child_ " " _Beasts like it shouldn't be allowed to live._ " " _We should kill it while it's still weak_ " " _I hope you die, demon_ " " _DEMON!_ "

He was used to crying alone. No one was ever there to comfort him.

But then this little pink-haired _angel_ appears, showing genuinely concern for him and holding him like no one ever has.

Someone his age actually cared for him, someone he barely knew was trying her best to make him feel better, unconditionally.

She may not know this, but her embrace and comfort meant the world to the little boy. Because thanks to her – for the first time ever – some of his tears were tears of joy.

He smiled to himself while his sobs became less frequent as he started to calm down. Nonetheless, he returned the hug, holding her even tighter in his arms. Not ready to let her go just yet.

They stayed like that for a few minutes, until he stopped crying and his hold begun to lose.

She released him from her embrace to take out more tissues and wipe out the remaining tears from his face softly, just like her mother did. She beamed at him when she was done and then searched in her pocket once again. "Here, have this." She offered him a cherry lollipop. "It always makes me feel better!"

The little boy rubbed his eyes, looking at her for a few seconds before he took the candy. "Thanks!" He said pretty loudly, Sakura would have wince a little if it wasn't for the smile he gave her.

There was something special about the way he smiled that make her feel utterly happy and proud of being the reason behind it. Maybe it was the way it seemed to glow, to the point of almost blinding someone, like a ray of sunshine or perhaps it was the way his sky blue eyes would close a little, but lit up a thousand times more.

It was the kind of smile that would make you want to return it and, in that moment, Sakura promised herself that she would anything to keep that smile on his face as much as possible.

"Don't worry." She said, smiling back at him, while he devoured the lollipop. She stared at him, debating if she should ask him what was making him so sad. "Umm..." He looked at her tilting his head to indicate he was listening. She giggled at his reaction; the little blonde was too cute. "Why were you crying?" She asked hesitantly. He kept silent and she couldn't help but become really nervous. "I mean, you don't have to, I just wanna help you, you know? But if you don't wanna talk about it…"

She was interrupted by his chuckles. She puffed her already red cheeks, a little bit embarrassed and frustrated, which only made him laugh louder.

Once he calmed down, he stared at her or a second with pained eyes. "No one wanted to play with me." He said looking at the ground, before turning his head to glare at the large group of boys. "They were scared of losing against me, cause I'm awesome, dattebayo! They are a bunch of chickens!" He said indignantly, crossing his arms for emphasis.

Sakura smiled at him, admiring the way he could overcome sadness so easily and joke about something that clearly pained him. "I bet they are!" She said reassuringly, the boy smiled at her. "We'll play something funnier, anyways."

"We will?" He asked with hopeful eyes.

"Yeah! I'm Sakura by the way" She said smiling sheepishly, just remembering that they hadn't presented themselves.

"I'm Uzumaki Naruto!" the little boy screamed with a big grin while giving her a thumbs up.

Sakura's eyes flashed with recognition. "Your name's Naruto?" She asked enthusiastically.

"Naruto, dattebayo!" The blonde responded, nodding vigorously.

"Like the Utterly Gutsy Shinobi!" She almost screamed due to her excitement. "How cool!"

Naruto's grin became bigger. "You also like him?"

"'The Tale of the Utterly Gutsy Shinobi' is my favorite book ever!" She beamed. The only way little Sakura could fall sleep was if her mother read her that book or told her stories about her father. "Musasabi Naruto is awesomee!"

"Yeah! He's like the bestest hero ever!"

Sakura observed him carefully for a few seconds before adding: "You know what? You're like him Naruto!" She may not know the blonde that long, but she could see that he was as brave and as optimistic as the book's protagonist.

"You think so, Sakura-chan?" He asked with widen eyes, slightly red cheeks and a small, almost embarrassed, smile on his face.

"I know so!"

"If I'm Musasabi Naruto, then you're Tsuyu!" He declared, still smiling.

Sakura smirked. Yeah, she definitely liked the idea of being a jounin medic-nin with a fearful temper. _**Cha!**_ "And I guess that means we are teammates….and friends." Naruto said hesitantly, his voice becoming quieter with each word.

"We're already friends and I guess that being teammates its the same" she said casually, shrugging

"W-we're fr-friends?" He asked, his eyes shining with hope.

"Yeah, we're friends, silly!" She beamed at him and he returned it without a second thought, his eyes filled with tears of joy. "Now, Musasabi- _chan_ , we have a mission to complete, we have to find Momoashi Renge!" Sakura continued, trying to imitate a ninja stance.

Naruto grinned again, before nodding solemnly, also imitating a ninja. "Let's go, Tsuyu-chan!"

The two kids spent the rest of the afternoon running and jumping through the park, shouting jutsu after jutsu while fighting imaginary enemies.

Senju Sayumi stared fondly at the entertained pair. She could not believe that of all the children her daughter could have met, she had encountered with the energetic little blonde.

She had being concerned at first, how was it possible for an almost three-year-old to escape from the orphanage? She would surely pay them a visit tomorrow to let the managers know how she felt about their careless behavior towards her son.

However the anger quickly dissipated while watching the duo hug, with a smile that refused to leave her face.

She promised herself that she would try to convince the managers of the orphanage to let Naruto go to the Senju compound - his future _home_.

* * *

A/N: I AM SORRY, something weird happened when I updated this chapter but I already fixed it. AGAIN SORRY, I am really awful with this kind of things)

Soooo, this chapter is a bit different. It was actually a BIG challenge for me to consider how a 3-year-old should act/behave. Especially if they aren't regular toddlers, but ninja in training. I guessed that since some of them start to train at that age (like Hinata) they would be more mature and developed (?) than real world three-year-olds.

Aaand I'm sorry if I didn't put emphasis in their baby-like pronunciation (I actually hate to read that in fanfictions and in any other book for that matter, so I did not include it.) I hope they don't sound/act/behave too mature.

Anywaaay, Thank you so much for your reviews they help me a lot and brghten my day so thaaank youu! :) and again soorry.

PS: aaaand really guys, I need a **BETA READER T.T** I'm gettin desperate. :P


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